It Was Just a Joke
by Hayakaze
Summary: [kakairu, koteizu] Kotetsu and Izumo play a cruel joke on Iruka, either to get on his nerves or to get him out of the room. Implied Kakairu, on Kotetsu and Izumo's part :D
1. Chapter 1

**It Was Just a Joke**

**WARNING**: This story contains both shounen ai (love between men) and (one slight instance of) yaoi (physical love between men). If this doesn't interest you, don't read!

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto this stuff would be canon. Don't own, don't make money.

Pairings: (implied) kakashi x iruka, kotetsu x izumo, (subtly implied) genma x raidou

Explained: Kakairu is only implied, and definitely not possible within the limits of this story. Kotetsu and Izumo are just being mean. ;)

**I write some dialogue in Japanese because the characters originated ****in Japan, and I think some things simply sound better in Japanese. All translations are provided at the end of the chapter.**

---

Iruka sighed. Mission room duty was boring. Most ninja were already on missions. It really wasn't necessary for the mission room to be open four hours every afternoon, or for there to be more than one person on duty.

Iruka glanced over at Kotetsu and Izumo. Izumo was busy writing something, and Kotetsu was leaning over him with his arms around his neck. Iruka shuddered at the thought that they could actually _love_ each other, and that they didn't mind showing it in public. He couldn't imagine being affectionate with a _man_-

The door opened. Gravity-defying silver hair was poking up over a small orange book. Kakashi sauntered over to Iruka, skipping the flirtatious couple, who were now eyeing the two shinobi with newfound interest.

Iruka felt himself blush. He silently cursed himself for doing so as Kakashi pulled a thrice-folded piece of paper from the pages of his book and laid it on the table. He raised his uncovered eye over the top of the book.

Iruka unfolded the report. It was written hurriedly and there was a small blood stain on the margin.

"Why do you turn these in at all when you know you'll have to redo them?"

Kakashi's eye smiled. "It is my hope that one day you shall look past such minor discrepancies."

"I can't even distinguish the hiragana characters. Blood stains and folds are common, but I can't read this!" Iruka handed Kakashi a blank report. "I don't have time to decipher your pitiful excuse for handwriting. Write it legibly this time."

Kakashi's one-eyed stare was as unreadable as his report. He placed his book on the table, took the blank page from Iruka, and folded it three times. He put it in his book and walked out.

Iruka leaned back in his chair, sighing. Only a few minutes were left until his shift ended.

"You should ask him out."

Iruka looked around. Izumo and Kotetsu were grinning at him.

Iruka finally managed to choke out, "Who- what? "

Izumo had been the one to speak. "Kakashi! He likes you!" His silent lover's eyes curved up.

It took Iruka a few seconds to register what Izumo meant. "Wha- What? No! What? Izumo!" He sputtered. "Just because _you're _like that doesn't mean everyone else is!"

"Admit it, Iruka! It's so obvious, even _Anko_ noticed! There's a bet going around on when you two will get together!"

"And hurry up about it, I'm on next week," Kotetsu added.

"I- you- no! I'm not - I haven't got feelings- I don't like Kakashi! He's a-" _Jounin, anyway!_ He had almost said that out loud. That would have definitely made the conversation awkward. More awkward, that is.

"Admit it! You like him, you always blush whenever he's around!"

"I do not!" ..._Do I?_

"Come on, Iruka, there's 18,000 yen in this! If we win we'll give you a third! ...because there's three of us! But _you_ have to do it!"

"I'm not doing _that _for only 6000 yen!" Iruka stood up. "You two close up, I'm leaving." _I don't deserve this..._

Iruka left the room. A few steps down the hall, he remembered not to leave those two alone together in the mission room. Last time... never mind.

He didn't go back for them. He knew all to well what he would find, and didn't want to see it right now. _Ever_, he silently amended.

---

"Maybe we should have upped the ante," Kotetsu whispered in Izumo's ear.

"Don't worry about it. He's gone, and not likely to come back. What do you say we lock the door?"

---

_Hiragana_ - Japanese characters used to spell out native words

_Yen_ - one yen is worth a bit less than a penny, so 18000 yen is around $180.00

---

CONCRIT please! Please please please please please I'll love you for CONCRIT!


	2. Chapter 2

"Nee, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi's due today," Kotetsu prodded quietly. "Maybe you should-"

"Shut up! I don't like him like that!" Iruka had no idea how he had gotten a shift with Kotetsu _again_ after only two days. Iwashi, the other _unnecessary_ mission desk paper pusher, was listening with a very disturbed look on his face.

Genma and Raidou entered the room. They went to the closest ninja, Kotetsu.

"It only takes one to turn in a report," Kotetsu pointed out.

"My mission. He's just here," Raidou replied. Genma always made excuses to go to the mission room. He knew good gossip could be found in bored ninja.

"Alright... arigatou, Raidou." Kotetsu filed the clean sheet.

"So." Genma also knew Kotetsu was a reliable source. "Anything new?"

Kotetsu glanced at Iruka. He leaned over and whispered in Genma's ear. Genma looked at Iruka several times, and when Kotetsu finished, said, "You _didn't_."

"We did."

"That's..." Genma thought for a moment. "That's cheating!" he said finally. Kotetsu's grin widened.

"He denies it, of course. But we really just wish he'd get on with it; after all, my week's almost over and Izumo's is the first one of September."

"Me too, I'm the last week of September. I just can't believe Anko bet _December_. She's either blind or has no hope for the two."

"If you mean Kakashi." Iruka was on the verge of exploding. "There is nothing of that nature between us. I don't even know him!"

"And yet you find that sexy," Genma said. "Don't even deny it, you blush every time he comes around-"

"I DO NOT!" Iruka was seething. "I do _not_ like him like that! We're both-" _men. Obviously. So were Kotetsu and Izumo. _"I'm straight, okay?"

"Does that mean you're a girl?" Genma asked, slyly. "Because you find him sexy and you know it. Admit it to yourself and things'll get better."

Raidou raised an eyebrow upon hearing that come out of Genma's mouth, but said nothing.

Iruka sighed. They were being nitpicky. "I am a man. I don't like other men. I'm not gay."

"Don't know what you're missing." Kotetsu grinned lecherously.

"Yo."

Iruka's eyes widened. The shock of silver hair in question was standing at the door.

"What's up, Genma?" Kakashi flashed two fingers at his friend. "Iruka-sensei." He turned to face the Chuunin. "My report, as you requested."

Iruka blushed as he indignantly took the thrice-folded paper.

---

_Ne_ - (neh) - an interjection meaning a combination of hey, don't you agree, and isn't that right? Extra e's can be added for drawing out the sound.

_Arigatou_ - (ah ree gah toh) - thank you

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EPILOGUE: Iruka gets picked on a bit more by Kotetsu, Izumo, and Genma, even Raidou, but finally Raidou tells him it's just a joke. Then he plots to take them all down in something huge, but zaybex hasn't quite figured out what that is, so until then, this is all there is ::sweatdrop::

Don't forget your daily dose of CONCRIT


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